Not Just an Indiscretion
by Prettylittlepetal
Summary: The immediate aftermath of that punch. Drabble. Procrastination. Reviews appreciated.


**I loved last nights episode! To be honest,** **hearing women blamed for any sexual assault makes me feel sick. I thought Téa handled it beautifully, although it seemed unresolved between Bess and Henry. But anyway, this was procrastination as it's best. Did you enjoy? Let me know!**

Elizabeth sat down, trying to take deep controlled breaths. She was failing miserably.

The president seemed to understand, that was something. Although she was sure that Russell's witty 'Sugar Ray' dig was going to catch on. Probably once it all blew over anyway.

She looked up as the doors were pushed open forcefully and Blake ran in, escorted by two military police officers. Armed police officers. "Ma'am" his voice shook slightly, "Ma'am we have to leave."

Her eyes flitted between Blake and the officers, and she nodded slowly "I think thanks a good idea Blake" she whispered, trying to stop her voice from shaking. She lifted her bag, clutching her phone in her visibly shaking hand as they hurried from the room and into her motorcade.

 _Sexy_. That's what he had called her. That vile, misogynistic man had made the assumption that because she was a woman, that he could touch her. The U.S. Secretary of State.

No. She thought to herself as they motorcades took them to the airport, running over the events in her head. He didn't get to touch her; not because he was a man, or the leader of the Philippines, or because he thought he had claim to areas of her body that only her husband could touch.

"Shit" she exclaimed, not actually meaning for it to be vocalised.

Blake looked up in alarm, "what is it? Ma'am?"

Even her detail had turned to look at her.

She laughed dryly. "I just punched a politician in the face."

Blake shook his head, lowering his voice slightly. "No, ma'am. You stopped someone from continuing to sexually harass you, you've done nothing wrong.

"I appreciate that Blake" she whispered.

.

She stepped onto her plane, her large sunglasses hiding the stress on her face as the photographers snapped their photographs. Her legs still felt shaky, she was glad for Matt's reassuring hand at her elbow incase she needed it.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there ma'am" he'd whispered quietly as he'd escorted her from the SUV; his large frame shielding her from the unforgiving camera lenses. "He wouldn't have touched you if I was there."

His words were quiet, but she heard them all the same.

"No, no" she shook her head forcefully, "this wasn't on you Matt, I've never taken you with me before. How should we have known today would be different?" She patted his arm. "Don't blame yourself, this wasn't either of our faults."

He nodded, his gruff voice softer than usual. "I appreciate that ma'am."

.

Her hands shook as she held the phone in her hand. They were suppose to be going to Singapore, instead they were going back to D.C. They'd been in the air for almost two hours and she still hadn't called Henry.

She didn't know what was stopping her; she knew, rationally, that Henry needed to know and that he'd be by her side throughout it all. Yet a small niggling area of her brain made her question whether he, and the rest of the world, would see it as her fault.

She'd seen what the media done to victims of sexual harassment.

 _"Why did they wear that outfit?"_

 _"She shouldn't have been to provocative."_

 _"Had she been drinking?"_

" _How was he supposed to resist when she looked_ _like that_?"

It made her sick. She couldn't stand women being dragged through the press, all for being in the wrong place with wrong man. Elizabeth knew Henry, she knew he wasn't like that. He was a feminist and she adored that about him.

She took a deep breath as he call connected. It would be almost three a.m there; she prayed he could pick up.

"Babe?" He grumbled sleepily, yawning down the phone. "Babe?" He pressed, hearing nothing but her breathing.

She crumpled, her knees buckling as she sat down. "Henry" she breathed, choking slightly "I..." she could feel he resolve slipping, the tears starting to spill forth. She was grateful the other occupants of the plane had turned away to give her a modicum of privacy. "I..." she tried again, "he..." her words were failing her as she sobbed.

"Baby?" Henry was awake now, hearing the panic in her voice. "I'm here sweetheart, tell me what's wrong?" He was sure she could hear the mirroring panic in his voice now.

"I broke his nose."

Her words came through sobs, but he heard her. Confounded by an out of context, bizarre statement. "You... what? Who's nose? What's going on Elizabeth?"

"He touched me." Her words were not making sense, she knew that but she had to make him see. "He grabbed my bum and -"

"What?!" Henry interjected, feeling a sudden flash of rage in his chest at the thought of another mans hands on her.

"I froze, but just for a second and then..." she continued as though his outburst never happened, before pausing to gather her thoughts. "I got him, I hit him so hard that I broke his nose." She whispered, realising the grim hilarity of the situation.

Henry was quiet, piecing things together slowly. "So... let me get this straight. You met with Filipino president, and he... he groped you?" His fists tightened on the sheets, fighting every ounce of reaction that told him to get on a plane to Manila and kill that _bastard_.

"Yeah" she whispered, waiting for another outburst. It never came. "And then I broke his nose... and possibly broke Asia" she concluded.

"Good" he nodded, his nails were digging into his palm; infuriated that someone would put his wife in this position.

"Henry" she was slightly indignant, "it's not -"

"Elizabeth" his voice was firm, "I'm proud of you."

Well, she wasn't expecting that.

She sucked in a breath, preparing to speak but he continued.

"That leach deserved everything he got. He should never have laid a hand on you, not one single finger without your permission. So yeah, I'm glad you broke his nose"

She laughed slightly, "I love you Henry." She was in decidedly better spirits after speaking to her husband.

"I love you too." He whispered, trying to stifle a yawn.

"I'll see you in the morning baby" she whispered, settling back into her seat and sipping the scotch that Blake had thoughtfully poured.

"Goodnight, badass" he whispered, hoping it wasn't too soon. He didn't want a repeat of the _madam_ _sexytary_.

She laughed softly, "go to sleep idiot"

As the phone clicked off she downed her scotch. "He's not getting away with this." She spoke to no one in particular, but the steely undertone of her voice was clear.

"No Ma'am" Blake was firm, determined to do whatever he could to help. "He won't."


End file.
